The University of Oxford has announced that its ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine is eliciting an immune response. The UK government has signed contracts for the supply of several other vaccine options.
Meanwhile, masks have been made mandatory in France, while Donald Trump still believes that Covid-19 will disappear on its own.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 14.5 million people have been infected with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and more than 605,000 people have died. About the latest news about Covid-19 around the world – in the daily compilation of the Russian service of BBC.
Oxford University released a statement indicating that the vaccine they are developing with AstraZeneca, called ChAdOx1, is at least partially effective. The vaccine, called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is being developed at an unprecedented pace. It is based on a virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. It is genetically modified so that the body recognizes it as the 19-nCoV virus. Clinical trials involving 1077 participants confirmed that the vaccine stimulates the production of antibodies against the coronavirus in the body, according to the statement.
The vaccine, called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is being developed at an unprecedented pace. From the point of view of the immune system, the vaccine is similar to the Covid-19 virus. Therefore, the body of a vaccinated person begins to produce antibodies, even though the virus contained in the vaccine is safe. The British government has already ordered a hundred million doses of the vaccine. Interest in the vaccine is also growing in Russia. Two days ago, the Russian company “R-Pharm” announced that if the development is successful, it will take over part of the production to supply the Russian market and many other countries. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. The number of episodes should not be changed. End of story podcast advertisement
In addition to the Oxford vaccine, the government has signed a contract to supply 90 million doses of other promising coronavirus vaccines being developed by BioNTech, Pfizer and Valneva. This concerns two drugs. The alliance between BioNtech and Pfizer, which is developing a vaccine using a fragment of the virus’ genetic code, has ordered 30 million doses. Another 60 million doses have been ordered by Valneva, a company working on a vaccine based on an inactivated virus. By investing in vaccines that work on different principles, the UK government is trying to increase the chances of success. “The fact that we have so many promising candidates shows that research is moving at an unprecedented pace,” said Kate Bingham, chair of the government’s Coronavirus Vaccine Working Group, urging caution in setting too high expectations for the programs. “The fact is, we may never get a vaccine, and if we do, it may not be the kind of vaccine that prevents infection, but one that reduces the severity of symptoms,” she added. According to Bingham, one of the vaccines could potentially complete trials by the end of 2020, but even in this case, widespread vaccination of the British population should not be expected until next year. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said in an interview with the BBC on Monday that the first vaccinations could begin in early 2021.
Doctors in several developed countries are noticing that the number of premature births has significantly decreased during quarantine, writes The New York Times. This trend has been independently noted by physicians in Ireland, Denmark, the United States, Canada, and several other countries. The cause can only be speculated. The studies have not yet been reviewed by other scientists. However, the numbers in these studies differ significantly from the averages, and experts say the relationship between quarantine and preterm birth needs further study. According to Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, the number of premature births at his clinic in March was 20% lower than average. Midwife Denis Jameson of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta says the decline in preterm births may be due to a number of factors – from cleaner air to a lack of blood pressure checks for mothers. “For several decades, the causes of preterm birth have remained a mystery, and the fight against it has been largely unsuccessful,” says Dr. Jamison. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of preterm births rose steadily in 2018 for the fourth year in a row. In 2018, the risk of such births was nine percent for white women, while it was 14 percent for African-American women, the newspaper reported. Researchers from Denmark and Ireland have started a joint project to study the link between Covid-19 and preterm birth.
French authorities have mandated that all citizens of the country must wear masks in enclosed spaces. Masks are already mandatory on public transportation in France. Starting Monday, they must be worn when going to any public place, such as a store. Those who do not comply with this requirement face a fine of 135 euros (123 pounds, about 11,000 rubles). France continues to fight local outbreaks of Covid-19. According to Health Minister Olivier Véran, there are currently about 500 cases in the country. In June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the “first victory” over the coronavirus and lifted the state of emergency in the country. In the northwestern and eastern provinces of France, the number of people infected with the virus continues to rise. France is one of the European countries hardest hit by the pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, two hundred thousand infections and more than thirty thousand deaths have been recorded.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the coronavirus will eventually disappear, as he had previously mentioned. “I will be proven right in the end. You know, I said it would go away. And I will say it again, the virus will go away. And I will be proven right,” Trump said. The US president first spoke of the virus’ disappearance in February, saying at the time that Covid-19 would “miraculously” disappear by April. But that has not happened.
When asked if his statements contradicting the opinions of scientists discredit him, Trump said no, because he is right. “You know why that does not discredit me? Because I have probably been right more times than any other person,” the president said, once again calling for schools to be reopened in the US. In explaining the high daily rates of coronavirus infection in the country, Trump cited the increased number of tests and criticized the country’s chief epidemiologist, Anthony Fauci. “Dr. Fauci told me not to wear a mask. He said not to ban China [entry of tourists and import of goods from China – BBC]. Doctor Fauci made some mistakes, he is a little alarmist, there is nothing wrong with that,” Trump said. In the United States, the number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnoses continues to rise. Last week, the daily number of new infections reached 70,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
European Union leaders are unable to agree on an anti-crisis budget for the next seven years to help Europe recover from the economic shock caused by the pandemic. The summit began on Friday and has already lasted three days. The EU leaders met again on Monday. Countries are divided into two groups. Some, whose economies have been seriously affected by the coronavirus, insist on a 500 billion euro aid package. Sweden, Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands are opposed to allocating 500 billion euros to the affected companies in the European Union. The informal leader of this group is Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The alliance of “frugal countries,” as they call themselves, is willing to provide 350 billion euros in aid, but other countries, including Spain and Italy, categorically refuse to offer less than 400 billion. As of Monday evening, no agreement had been reached. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described the negotiations as “heated”.